Another thing that happens every year at Gen Con, that as a owner of a game company, is that dozens of people come to me to pitch their games, hoping to get them made. To date I’ve never come close to picking up a game in this way, but I suppose it’s not out of the question.

This will be a quick post with some really important do’s and don’ts to give you the best possible chance of catching my (or any other manufacturers) attention.

DO

PUT YOUR COPYRIGHT ON YOUR MATERIALS – seriously, without it, you are potentially just giving away your idea (and even then it’s still risky).

Have a pitch for your game that takes 90 seconds or less, and practice it.

Make sure to include what other game it may be like.

Make sure to include how it’s different and unique.

Highlight anything you feel is particularly innovative.

Have a clear presentation of the parts list for the game (this is vital, even the best game won’t get made if it costs too terribly much to make, I need to know up front whats involved in manufacturing).

If you have a visual style for the game, have 1 or 2 quick images you can show me which encompass as much of the style as possible. I don’t want to see dozens of pieces of art at once.

If all the above is on 1 single-sided sheet of paper you can leave with me (and includes your contact information), you’re much much more likely to have me remember your game, and increase the chance of hearing from me for a follow up meeting.

DON’T

Tell me how long you’ve been working on it, that’s actually what 75% of people START with, and it’s wasted time, and irrelevant information.

Tell me your friends liked it, that means nothing to me.

Tell me you made this because popular game X sucks, and you are going to do better. (game X is usually incredibly popular and successful, and your game, which is usually your first try at a game, is really really not likely to be better, at least not at the time you’re presenting it to me)

Tell me you’re also pitching this game to all my competitors.

Try to demo the game to me right away, if you can’t sell me on it with a quick pitch, I’m not about to sit down for a lengthy demo. In fact, just assume I’m not going to demo anything until a second meeting, if there is one.

Get too deep into individual rules mechanics, this is really most likely just going to bore me (at a time when I’m otherwise INCREDIBLY busy) at this early stage of evaluating your game.

Those are the main points, and hit on the vast majority of what I’m looking for in order to evaluate a game pitch, and most of the things which immediately turn me off to your pitch. Hope it helps, if not to pitch to me, but someday, when you’re pitching your game to someone.

Actually hasn’t slowed down at all, and maybe even just the opposite. In fact, a lot of the pitches include references to what I could do WITH a kickstarter to make the game less of a risk if I took it on.